1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to showcases and, more particularly, to a decorative framed showcase used for displaying pendants and ribboned medal awards.
2. Description of the Background
Awards are frequently given to commemorate achievement in athletic competition, extra-curricular activities, or service to an organization. A pendant award is a combination medal and ribbon which allows the award to be placed around the neck of the recipient in the manner of a necklace. Olympic medals are a familiar example of pendant style awards.
Displaying such pendant awards, however, proves difficult. The long ribbon takes a disproportionate amount of space when fully extended and detracts from the ornamentation and script on the medal itself. Folding the ribbon proves clumsy, and the bulky folded ribbon likewise detracts from the medal. Prior displays of pendant medals include simple tie racks and shadow boxes, which have been shown to be impractical. Pendant medals hanging on a tie rack display the entire length of ribbon with the medal, distracting from the medal itself and causing the medals to sway and obscure one another from view. A shadow box, on the other hand, can practically only display one or two medals, so multiple shadow boxes are needed for several medals and each box takes up a significant amount of space.
In light of the foregoing, it would be of great advantage to create an improved showcase with a means for neatly displaying an individual or collection of pendant awards with only a portion of the ribbon in view.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to neatly display an individual or collection of pendant awards in a frame enclosure protected behind a transparent front pane, the pendant awards being suspended by a decorative display panel 10, and with the bulk of the ribbons being concealed behind the decorative display panel 10 and enclosed by a solid back panel.
It is another object to present a display case comprising a decorative display panel 10 having a slot or plurality of slots positioned at regular intervals into which the ribbon of a pendant award is partially inserted.
It is yet another object to secure the excess portion of said ribbon to the backside of the decorative display panel 10.
It is still further an object to provide a means for mounting the showcase on a wall.